English Literature IGCSE
Ambiguity
What Ambiguity means in English Literature IGCSE, as defined for Pearson Edexcel.
Definitions of Ambiguity
Exam boards and our study guides word this term in slightly different ways. Learn the version your board uses.
When meaning is deliberately left unclear or open to multiple interpretations.
When a text is open to more than one interpretation.
Topics that use Ambiguity
- The Merchant of Venice (Pearson Edexcel IGCSE)
- The Scarlet Letter (Pearson Edexcel IGCSE)
Related terms
- Allegory
- Dramatic Irony
- Foil
- Omniscient Narrator
- Pathetic Fallacy
- Anaphora
- Chiaroscuro
- Nominative Determinism
Using Ambiguity in the exam
Definition questions usually carry one or two marks, and examiners look for the precise wording. Write the definition from memory, check it against the version above, and then use the term in a longer answer on the same topic so it sticks.
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